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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mine — for digging
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. file — a line of people
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. file — a document
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — from a university
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. current — of water
  21. degree — an amount
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com